William Paxton (British businessman): Difference between revisions
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His elder brother Archibald helped his father run the Stewart wine business. Stewart's son John had made his fortune in the [[East India Company]], before becoming an MP. On his death, the John and Archibald Paxton took over the Stewart wine business.<ref name=Kuiters/> His middle brother John became a painter and artist, whose works were displayed at the [[Royal Academy]].<ref name=Kuiters/> |
His elder brother Archibald helped his father run the Stewart wine business. Stewart's son John had made his fortune in the [[East India Company]], before becoming an MP. On his death, the John and Archibald Paxton took over the Stewart wine business.<ref name=Kuiters/> His middle brother John became a painter and artist, whose works were displayed at the [[Royal Academy]].<ref name=Kuiters/> |
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==Royal Navy career== |
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John Stewart's connections into the EIC allowed William, aged 12, to join the [[Royal Navy]] as Captain William Gordon's captains boy in November 1755, aboard [[HMS St Albans (1747)|HMS ''St Albans'']]. This allowed the quiet but arithmetically skilled boy to be schooled further, and his ship saw action with the bombardment and capture of Louisburg (French Canada) in July 1757.<ref name=Kuiters/> In 1760 he joined the new [[HMS Thunderer (1760)|HMS ''Thunderer'']] as [[Midshipman]] officer, under Captain Charles Proby.<ref name=Kuiters/> |
John Stewart's connections into the EIC allowed William, aged 12, to join the [[Royal Navy]] as Captain William Gordon's captains boy in November 1755, aboard [[HMS St Albans (1747)|HMS ''St Albans'']]. This allowed the quiet but arithmetically skilled boy to be schooled further, and his ship saw action with the bombardment and capture of Louisburg (French Canada) in July 1757.<ref name=Kuiters/> In 1760 he joined the new [[HMS Thunderer (1760)|HMS ''Thunderer'']] as [[Midshipman]] officer, under Captain Charles Proby.<ref name=Kuiters/> |
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In 1764 aged 20, while on assignment in [[India]], Paxton resigned his commission to join the [[East India Company]] as a free mariner. After a period he was assigned to [[Calcutta]], where he worked with [[Sezincote House|Charles Cockerell]], brother of the architect Samuel Pepys Cockerell.<ref name=Jones/> |
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==Business career== |
==Business career== |
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===East India Company=== |
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At the end of the [[Seven Years' War]], like many military men, Paxton was technically made redundant from the Royal Navy. On 1 June 1764, Paxton walked from his families London apartment to the [[Berkeley Square]] home of [[Lord Robert Clive]]. Carrying a letter of recommendation written by [[John Stewart]], he became a free mariner on an in-country privateer ship for the East India Company, plying trade between different ports on the east of the [[Cape of Good Hope]] and across [[Asia]].<ref name=Kuiters/> After a period he was assigned to [[Calcutta]], where he worked with [[Sezincote House|Charles Cockerell]], brother of the architect Samuel Pepys Cockerell.<ref name=Jones/> |
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In 1772, Paxton trained in London as an [[assayer]], and in 1774 became Assay Master to the [[Bengal Presidency]] under the govenorship of [[Warren Hastings]], and in 1778 Master of the Mint of [[Bengal]]. |
In 1772, Paxton trained in London as an [[assayer]], and in 1774 became Assay Master to the [[Bengal Presidency]] under the govenorship of [[Warren Hastings]], and in 1778 Master of the Mint of [[Bengal]]. |
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Revision as of 03:29, 18 September 2011
Sir William Paxton (1744 - 1824), was a Scottish-born sailor, businessman and later Welsh Member of Parliament for Carmarthen, who helped in the early Victorian age to develop the seaside resort of Tenby.
Early life
Paxton's family originated from Auchencrow near to Paxton, Berwickshire.[1] He was the son of John Paxton, chief clerk to Scottish wine merchant Archibald Stewart, who had become Lord Provost of Edinburgh.[2]
In 1745, when Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie, marched down from the Caledonian heights with his army of Highlanders to make his bid for the throne, Stewart feably opposed him. Arrested and imprisoned in the tower of Edinburgh Castle from where, after six weeks, he was released on a bail of £15,000. Two years later, he was found "not guilty" but Stewart found his name sullied in the eyes of the Edinburgh public and decided to transfer home and business to London. Stewart resultantly moved his business and his trusted agent John Paxton to No.11 Buckingham Street, just off the Strand, where the Paxton family lived in a flat on the upper floor.[2]
His elder brother Archibald helped his father run the Stewart wine business. Stewart's son John had made his fortune in the East India Company, before becoming an MP. On his death, the John and Archibald Paxton took over the Stewart wine business.[2] His middle brother John became a painter and artist, whose works were displayed at the Royal Academy.[2]
John Stewart's connections into the EIC allowed William, aged 12, to join the Royal Navy as Captain William Gordon's captains boy in November 1755, aboard HMS St Albans. This allowed the quiet but arithmetically skilled boy to be schooled further, and his ship saw action with the bombardment and capture of Louisburg (French Canada) in July 1757.[2] In 1760 he joined the new HMS Thunderer as Midshipman officer, under Captain Charles Proby.[2]
Business career
East India Company
At the end of the Seven Years' War, like many military men, Paxton was technically made redundant from the Royal Navy. On 1 June 1764, Paxton walked from his families London apartment to the Berkeley Square home of Lord Robert Clive. Carrying a letter of recommendation written by John Stewart, he became a free mariner on an in-country privateer ship for the East India Company, plying trade between different ports on the east of the Cape of Good Hope and across Asia.[2] After a period he was assigned to Calcutta, where he worked with Charles Cockerell, brother of the architect Samuel Pepys Cockerell.[1]
In 1772, Paxton trained in London as an assayer, and in 1774 became Assay Master to the Bengal Presidency under the govenorship of Warren Hastings, and in 1778 Master of the Mint of Bengal.
It was at this time that Paxton began to become rich, acting as a financial agent charging commission on financial transactions. Having made a success of his business in Bengal, he decided to return to London again in 1785 to expand his business there. During his time in India, he had met and befriended Welshman David Williams, a Captain of the East India Company's military service, from whom he received an invitation to visit Wales. Shortly after establishing his business in London, it became a merchant bank.
Middleton Hall estate
In 1789 Paxton bought the Middleton Hall estate for about £40,000. Turning the original hall into Home Farm, he commissioned architect Samuel Pepys Cockerell to design him a new home, which was built between 1793 and 1795.
Paxton employed engineer James Grier as estate manager, and surveyor Samuel Lapidge, who had worked with Lancelot "Capability" Brown, to design and landscape the gardens. The pair created an ingenious water park, with water floweing around the estate via a system of interconnecting lakes, ponds and streams, linked by a network of dams, water sluices, bridges and cascades. Spring water was stored in elevated reservoirs that fed into a lead cistern on the mansion’s roof, allowing Paxton’s residence to enjoy piped running water and the very latest luxury, water closets. Middleton Estate was described in a 19th century sale catalogue as "richly ornamented by nature, and greatly improved by art."[3]
In 1806, Saxton engaged Pepys Cockerell again to design and then over see the construction of Paxton's Tower, which was completed in 1809. A Neo-Gothic folly erected in honour of Lord Nelson, it is situated on a hilltop near Llanarthney in the Towy Valley, Carmarthenshire.
By the time of his death in 1824, Middleton Hall estate covered some 2,650 acres (1,070 ha).[4] After the estate fell into decline in the early 20th century, the main house burnt down in 1931.[3] Today, the Middleton Hall estate is the site of the National Botanic Garden of Wales. The tower is under care of the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty.
Political and Parliamentary career
In the 1790s, Paxton stood and failed as a Whig party candidate in the Newark-on-Trent constituency.
In 1793 Paxton was admitted as a Burgess to Carmarthen Borough. Now resident in West Wales, in 1802 he stood representing the Whig party in Carmarthenshire, against Conservative James Hamlyn Williams. Inexperienced in electioneering but with lots of money, Paxton's accounts show that he bought voters: 36,901 dinners; 25,275 gallons of ale; and spent £768 on blue ribbons.
Two months after losing the election by 46 votes, he was elected Mayor of Carmarthen. Taking his duties seriously, he enabled the instalation to the town of pipes to distribute fresh water, and started the Loyal Carmarthen Volunteers militia brigade. As a result, he was knighted in 1803. It is during his period as Mayor that many suspect that he met Lord Nelson in person, and hence have been inspired to build Paxton's Tower folly after his death at the Battle of Trafalgar.[1]
In 1803, standing MP John George Philipps resigned his seat in Parliament in favour of Paxton. At the 1806 General Election, Paxton took the Carmarthenshire seat unopposed. But in the run-up to the 1807 General Election, after much local opposition, he withdrew his candidacy, allowing Sir George Campbell to take the seat.
Personal life
Paxton married Ann Dawney in 1786, with the first of their ten children born in 1787. After his withdrawl from the 1807 election, he built himself a new easide home at Tenby House, and then organised the rebuilding of the town as a Victorian seaside resort
Aged 80, Paxton died in 1824 whilst in London on business. He is buried in the catacombs at St Martin-in-the-Fields, while a Blue Plaque commemorates his residency on the side of Tenby House hotel. His wife died in 1846.
References
- Jones, D. Middleton Hall. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: William Paxton
Notes
- ^ a b c Jones, D. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: William Paxton.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|Publisher=ignored (|publisher=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e f g "Sir William Paxton". kuiters.org. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ a b National Botanic Garden of Wales: History
- ^ "William Paxton". ammanfordtown.com. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
External links
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